“So, any idea on where to eat?”

“How about the one at the end?” He looked to the end, noticing the fact that people had been entering and leaving the place. As well as spotting a merchant or two. It was bustling and it must have tasted good.

“Was that the place you had your eye on for quite a while?” She would look the other way, but was more than enough to tell him that she had intended for it to be so. And honestly, he was more keen to not be eating at dubious places. As for Shinrou, he would bring something back for him. It was easy enough as the man would know that leaving now was difficult.

Even as he entered inside. For most part it was filled with tables, even upon the second floor. The staircase was before them with the tables inside. There was no rule to suggest they needed to wait, so it was up to them to take a seat. He looked around, realizing that it was full in every sense of the word.

He sighed, knowing that it was so if there was so many leaving and at the same time entering.

“Kazuho, Yuki found a place.” He would look at the seat, which had been previous occupied by a bunch of Samurai who had given it up to her. They would make their way there, taking a seat. A menu was at each table, listing all the items. But there were some which were better placed at the top, which had been raw fish and sake.

Yuki had taken one for herself with her eyes focused on the fish. And Masami would look to the right and see the price. “Could you afford it?”

“I can afford to pay the man the full price of the house and take the cost of the theft, doesn’t mean I want to.” She would agree to. It was one thing to be able to afford sand another to be willing. But he knew that it will be what Yuki will do now. “But either way, she would want to try it. Best let it be at a good place than some seedy restaurant.”

She would agree knowing that this needed to be prepare correctly. The wrong sort could cause death when eaten, and some would undertake it as a challenge. And from observing the place around, it was a common dish to be served. It meant that they had been able to afford it.

“How may I help you?” It had been a young man, with short hair and wearing a simple kosode and hakama. The weather was not cold enough to warrant coats yet, it only being in the early autumn. His eyes were a deep hazel, and his hair the regular black.

“Can I have this course meal?” He knew that she would have the moment she saw it. Never having actually sat through the actual duration coupled with the curiosity.

“Excellent choice, although that goes well with the shochu, which is brewed in the house.” He has taken the chance to flip the paper to the back, revealing neatly handwritten beverages. And it was made up of mostly rice, barely, brown sugar and carrots. The latter had been what mostly caught his attention as it had been stranger.

“We’ll take it.” He closed it. Knowing that it was often a pair, most ate it together.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

“Yuki was going to take it regardless of what we do. Might as well be one step ahead. Although I am curious to see how carrots can fit into sake.”

“Won’t that just taste strange?” Masami asked.

“I have the feeling it’ll be great.” She gave a smile back at them, even as they were waiting for food. He could ask for something later for Shinrou. Even as he knew that it would need to be rice; Shinrou may prefer ramen but it was often hot and difficult to carry.

“So what should we do as of now?” Seeing as there was nothing else to do than to wait for their food. Masami had asked him this question, knowing full well of how he was uncertain about this. Or rather uncertain about where to head from here. It was almost dark and he had gotten nowhere.

“How about we ask him if we have the chance?” She would nod, even as it was not a good idea. Just one out of desperation itself. He did not have any clear ideas on where to head from here, and neither did he know where to head. He still wanted to avoid the authorities at all costs.

Even as his attention would be drawn by the serving of thinly sliced raw meat. He knew that this was difficult to prepare, and few could truly claim it. “How about I take a look first to see if it’s truly safe to eat?”

“Why so?”

“Well, if it isn’t done well it can kill.” Which kept her mouth shut. And knew that it was because Kazuho has had a lot of chance to eat it, to be trusted with testing it.

He looked at it, observing for a moment before putting it into his mouth. Even as the wine would come in the next second and he would pour a cup of it and drink a bit. Sake was not strong wine, shoku had been a far stronger variation of it. And perhaps why he had chosen it, knowing that this was how it was normally eaten.

“Is drinking a necessity?”

He would shrug. “I have no idea why, it’s just something all would do when they eat raw stuff.” He had never questioned why it happened, just that they did it. Masami would take one, and so would Yuki. She would eat it, even as Masami helped her with the cup and did it herself. Just as she took the chance. It was going to be a long meal as it was since Yuki had ordered a course meal.

The liquor itself had been good, it was kept well and when it was brewed it was by the hand of an expert. He could taste it, and it was well worth the price spent on it. It knew how to emphasize the carrots, even as it would raise the eye of anyone else who was drinking.

Even as he could taste the mild spiciness and garnish, which had been incorporated into the meat itself. Something that he had not tasted it for a long while, even as it was one which was distinct.

The rest of the meal would pass without a hitch, with most of the dishes being served. Even as Yuki and Masami would often look to him for guidance on eating them. Once they were done, and Yuki was too full to even think of eating dessert.

The boy noticed while handing him the bill. Even as Kazuho spotted his look, which reminded him of a butcher who was about to slaughter his livestock. And pretended that it had not existed. He looked at the bill before taking out his checkbook and wallet.

“That check…” The boy would mention. Even as he turned his eyes around.

“Where?”

“Pay the bill and I will tell you.” Even as he handed it in full, with a little extra as a tip. Even as the boy would be taken aback by the amount. As though he expected him to have lost a lot of money.

He accepted it. “It was from a young boy, his mother has been ill and thus he has been working with us. Today he had came to me with that check asking what to do about it.” And knowing that many would suspect theft if he had came dressed as a poor orphan. That had been something which would have caught their attention.

“Really? Was the amount on there enough to buy a house?”

“A very large one, but yes.” He passed the waiter a bigger tip for such information. “So, it must be yours.”

“I have been searching for it the entire day.” The man did not reveal more like what was his name and where he stayed.

“You’re not heading to the bafuku for something like this?”

“I have reasons not to. I just want the money back, so who is this boy and where he stays?”

“Kaoru.” Even as he passed the address to him. “As long as you don’t bring him to the law, it’s enough. By the way, I really thought that you couldn’t afford it. It’s just the spoiled pig who is demanding things.”

Yuki would glare at him for a moment. As Kazuho gave a laugh at her reaction. “And why didn’t you tell us?”

“You had the menu and the price. And I did want to see her face.” Before he took the chance to leave.

“Well, it seems that we no longer need to keep looking.” She looked at the address. Yuki folded her arms, not being happy at being insulted by someone. But felt that it was not worth the trouble to beat him up. Although Kazuho knew that if they were to come up, she would find some way to get back at him.

He watched Masami stand up, and so did he. Knowing that it was time to leave. Just as he remembered something important.

“But we would need to buy something for Shinrou.”

“We do need something for him before he decides to murder us.” Masami would nod in agreement.

They walked out of the inn to loom for Shinrou’s dinner.